High chair



MarCh 1951 E. l... JOHNSON 2,544,760

HIGH CHAIR Filed Feb. 14, 1947 ATTOR Y Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT LoFFIcE HIGH CHAIR Everard L. Johnson, PatchoguaN. Y.

Applicatio'n'February- 14, 1947; Serial No; 728,669

6 Claims; 1 This invention relates to high chairsxand'similar seats employing trays... More particularly, the invention deals with a structure of' this v:kind, wherein thetray is free to swing clear of the arms and includes means centrally of the tray and slidably-engaging the seat for clamping-the tray in different positions ofadjustment on the arms in adjusting the tray to a position on. the chair to retain an infant against accidental displacement therefrom. The novelzfeatures of .the in vention will be best understood from th following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated'by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the upper seat portion of a high chair-showing thetray in closed position thereon,-parts of the construction being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line -22 of Fig. 1 showing the tray'clamping means on an enlarged scale with the clamp in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of Fig. 2 and showing only a part of the construction.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the tray in a different position; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the tray in a position extended from the arms ofthe chair ready to be lowered or in a position preparatory to engaging the arms of the chair, parts only of the construction being shown.

In chairs of the kind-under consideration, it has been customary to provide trays adjustable with respect to the arms of a chair in high chair and similar structures. In such devices, ithas also been the custom to provide in the chair arms means for retaining the tray in difierent positions of adjustment. This has been objectionable from the standpoint of weakening the-arms and/or providing too much mechanism thereon. It is one of the distinctive'features of my invention to providean adjustableand. detachable tray structure, in which means is provided, centrally of the lower portion of the tray slidably engaging the chair seat and with means' adjusta'ble on the seat for clamping the:tray inone of anumber of differentpositions, while at the same time formingon the chair a strap or rod. adapted to be arranged between the legs, of achild sitting, in the chair to prevent a child ,from twistingand turning in the chair in an elTort to stand up or otherwise displace itself from the chair.

.In Fig. 1 of the drawing; l represents the-seat of a highchair from which are depending four leg members, as at ll, the latter being of any desired construction. At I2 is shown a backrest, to the side portions of which are secured forwardly directedr-armsi I3 supported: at the lforward end of the sides of the seat by vertical rods or braces M.

.The arms l3 have, onqtheir inner: surfaces,

grooves |5,one of which is shown in the accompanying drawing and, at H5, is shown a tray having, at side portions thereof, angle cleats orstrips slidably engaging-the grooves l5. The-strips H are preferably arranged adjacent therea-rportion of the tray and the rear end. ofthe tray is preferably providedqwith a concaved curvature, as at' 18, to fit around the body of the occupant of the chair. At the sides of the tray Hiandbeyond the arms l3 are U-shaped brackets-one of which isshown at IS in Fig. 1 of the drawing and to; the-brackets I9 are pivoted arms 20. The-armsv 20 have,: at their lower ends, elongated apertures 2|,. t-hrough which clamp screws 22 are: passed; the'lattergbeing supported at the outer sides of. the seat I10: at the front end portions thereof. The'clamp screws 22 are employed to aid in retaining. the tray in different positions of adjustmentand, in some instances, the parts 22 may simply comprise headed pins to guide the lower endrportions: of the arms and the tray can be adjnstablyclamped in position solely by-the -clamping means described below.

The seat ID has, at its lowerv surface, centrally and longitudinally thereof, an elongated. channel 23. Crossing this channel near th forwardend of the seat is a plate 24 having an aperture, as at 25, registering with the channel 23. Slidably mounted in the-channel 23 is-a cam lock. element 26 comprising an elongated strip having-an offset cam portion 2"! and a downwardly extendingfree end 28. Secured to the element 26 is arod 29, which extends through the rear portion of the channel 23 and is pivoted,- as seen at 36, to the lower end of anoperating lever 3|. The lever 3| is pivoted to a'pair of bracket plates: 32 secured to the lower end of the backrest I2; as seen at 33. The lever 3| has a forked-lower end 34, so as to provide a-wide bearing of the-lever on the pivot 33-and to dispose the forked'end" adjacent the spaced plates 32a. of the brackets 32, note Fig. 3.

The forked end 34 is joined by a'cross-pin 35 which forms astoplimiting downward movement of the lever: 3| when moved into, thereleased position, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing; The lower portion of the backrest l2, in alinement with the channel 23, is recessed, as seen at 36,- to receive the rod 29- and the-forked end 34 of the lever 3|, as will be apparent. In theunlatched or inoperative position of the element 26', the cam offset 21 extends into the aperture 25' of the plate 24 and the end 28 extendsbeyond theiforward end of .the:p1ate 24,.asseen in Fig. 4 of the draw 'ing. In this position, the end portion?! of the strip, rod, lock member or element 38 is free to move into and out of the channel 23 and, in this connection, it will appear that the downwardly extending end 28 of the element 216 aids in guiding the end 31 intothe channel. The member 38 includes a loop portion 39 which joins the end 37 with a vertical portion 40 of said member, the latter being secured to the lower surface of the tray in any desired manner.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the tray 16 may be free to slide forwardly in the arms 13 to be detached from said arms and to drop downwardly and, in this operation, the end 31 of the member 38 is moved out of engagement with the channel 23. On the other hand, upon swinging the tray upwardly and alining the same with the arms, the retaining strips or cleats I! may be moved into the grooves l of the arms and simultaneously the end 3! of the member 38 moved into the channel 23. When the tray is in the desired adjusted position on the arms, the lever 3| is then swung upwardly, which draws the element 25 rearwardly, moving the cam 2'! over the upper surface 2% of the plate 2%, thus securely clamping the end 31 upon the seat 10. To detach or adjust the tray, the lever 3| must be swung downwardly freeing the member 3! or to decrease the pressure thereon sufficiently to allow the tray to slide along the arms It. It will be understood that, if the devices 22 are in the form of clamp screws, these are loosened prior to any adjustment or movement of the tray and are again tightened when the tray has been returned to its adjusted position.

In the use of the chair, it will be understood that the members or arms 20 provide for free sliding movement of the tray on the chair arms and swinging movement of the tray forwardly and downwardly at the front of the chair to give free access to the seat in placing a child in the chair or in removing the child therefrom. When the child is in the chair, the tray may be swung upwardly and then engaged with the arms and seat in the manner clearly illustrated.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a chair comprising a seat, backrest and arms, the arms having grooves extending longitudinally for the major portion of the length of inner opposed surfaces thereof, a tray, the lower surface of the tray having, at opposite sides thereof, members engaging the grooves of said arms in slidably supporting the tray on the arms and in keying the tray thereto, means comprising members pivoted to the rear side portions of the tray and pivotally and slidably coupled with the forward side edges of the seat for slidably and swingably coupling the tray with the chair, whereby said tray may be swung freely of the chair arms and downwardly to give free access to the seat, and means comprising a member on the tray slidably engaging the seat for retaining the tray in diiferent positions of adjustment on the arms of said chair.

2. In a chair comprising a seat, backrest and arms, the arms having grooves extending longitudinally for the major portion of the length of inner opposed surfaces thereof, a tray, the lower surface of the tray having, at opposite sides thereof, members engaging the grooves of said arms in slidably supporting the tray on the arms and in keying the tray thereof, means comprising members pivoted to the rear side portions of the tray and pivotally and slidably coupled with the forward side edges of the seat for slidably and swingably coupling the tray with the chair, whereby said tray may be swung freely of the chair arms and downwardly to give free access to the seat, means retaining the tray in diiferent positions of adjustment on the arms of said chair, said last named means comprising a lock member secured to the lower central portion of the chair and slidably engaging the seat, means movably supported on the seat engaging the lock member in retaining the same in different positions of adjustment on the seat, said last named means comprising a wedge plate, and a lever pivotally supported on,the chair for actuating said wedge plate.

3. In an article of manufacture comprising a seat having side arms, a tray, means slidably mounting the tray on said arms, the tray having a member slidabl engaging the seat, and means on the seat movable longitudinally of and 00- operating with said member to retain the tray in diiferent positions of adjustment longitudinally of said arms.

4. In an article of manufacture comprising a seat having side arms, a tray, means slidably mounting the tray on said arms, the tray having a member slidably engaging the seat, means on the seat movable longitudinally of and cooperating with said member to retain the tray in different positions of adjustment longitudinally of said arms, said last named means comprising a cam plate, means for moving said plate into operative and inoperative positions, and means for swingably mounting the tray upon said seat.

5. A device of the character described com prising a seat having a channel extending longi tudinally of the lower surface thereof, the seat having upwardly extending side arms, a tray, means on the tray and arms providing sliding movement of the tray on said arms, the tray having, centrally thereof, a downwardly extending lock element movable longitudinally of the channel of said seat, and means movable longitudinally in the channel engaging said lock element to retain the tray in different positions of adjustment on said arms.

6. A chair of the class described comprising a seat, the seat having a channel extending forwardly and backwardly thereon, means including a cam plate movable longitudinally of said channel for clamping an element in different positions in the channel of said seat, a lever pivoted to the seat, and'a link coupling the pivoted end portion of the lever with said cam plate, whereby swinging movement of the lever into difierent positions will control movement of the cam plate into operative and inoperative positions.

EVERARD L. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in .the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,465 Johnson Dec. 20, 19 49 

